Axillary Hyperhidrosis is a condition where excessive sweat than is required for body temperature regulation is produced. This excessive sweating is experienced at the armpits.
Primary hyperhidrosis occurs in healthy individuals with no cause. Secondary hyperhidrosis is less common can be as a result of some drugs, neurological disorders, serious systematic diseases, anxiety, and facial surgery. About 3.12% of Americans suffer from axillary hyperhidrosis. The underarm excessive sweating tends to start at puberty and significantly affects one’s physical and psychological health. It needs treatment or else it will continue as long as you live.
People view heavy armpit sweating as a cosmetic condition that doesn’t pose serious side effects. However, stressing over how underarm sweat marks will show and trying to conceal them can affect someone psychologically and the overall quality of life.
Causes of axillary hyperhidrosis
Hyperhidrosis can be caused by endocrine, neurologic, infectious and other systemic diseases. Emotions and heat might cause hyperhidrosis in some people, but many sweats nearly all the time, regardless of their mood or weather.
How Does Axillary Hyperhidrosis Affect You?
Worrying about how your underarm sweat mark will appear is mentally draining. The energy that you will need to prepare for energy events, shower several times a day and always checking for signs of pitting out require full attention.
Many people with axillary hyperhidrosis have shared their frustrations. Some even avoid socializing with friends or going out in public due to the embarrassment of excessive sweating. For some, axillary hyperhidrosis has prevented them from progressing at work and fulfilling their goals. They constantly worry about sweating and they tend to be vulnerable to depression and anxiety.
In general, most people who suffer from excessive underarm sweating show similar side effects that include:
- Anxiety about sweating
- Missing out on social gatherings due to fear of sweating
- Loss of focus at work
- Reduced self-esteem and confidence
- An extra cost of buying new outwear and T-shirts due to yellowing
- Frequent changing of clothes because of underarm sweating
- Challenges with romantic relationships
Diagnosis of axillary hyperhidrosis
Diagnosis of axillary hyperhidrosis is made clinically on basis of patient’s physical examination and history. If the sweating is constant and excessive, then diagnosis will be obvious. Relying on the patient’s history isn’t unusual. In research centers, sweat production is measured by comparing the filter paper’s weight left on the skin for some time before and after sweating.
Can surgery treat axillary hyperhidrosis?
Localized axillary hyperhidrosis can be treated by surgical removal of a portion of axillary skin. There is also another approach that involves the use of liposuction curettage. Although it’s hard to visualize how effectively it damages the dermal sweat glands.
Surgical interruption of sympathetic nerves is an operation that’s indented to destroy a part of nerve supply to the sweat glands. A special endoscopic instrument is inserted into the chest between the ribs below the armpit. The lungs are then deflated briefly for better visualization of the nerves then destroyed. Complications may include excessive sweating in some other parts of the body and lung and nerve problems. These complications are serious and the option is rarely used, and when used.
Why standard antiperspirants are not used to treat axillary hyperhidrosis
Ordinary antiperspirants reduce normal amounts of sweat due to environmental conditions, specifically heat. Someone with hyperhidrosis sweat significantly and they would need a specialized antiperspirant to reduce sweat.
Treatment of Axillary Hyperhidrosis
Through systemic evaluation of the triggers and causes of axillary hyperhidrosis, and then a stepwise approach to treatment, many patients can achieve good results and live a good life.
Treatment of excessive sweating usually proceed as follows:
Prescription strength antiperspirants and over the counter antiperspirants
People with axillary hyperhidrosis wonder if they need to use deodorant or antiperspirant or both. The first step in fighting axillary hyperhidrosis is applying a stronger antiperspirant. Antiperspirant reduces the amount of sweat by blocking the sweat glands. Deodorant masks the smell of the body odor. Those with axillary hyperhidrosis need prescription strength antiperspirants and over-the-counter antiperspirants.
Botox
If antiperspirant doesn’t work, botox injections into your underarm area are required. The FDA approved Botox for axillary hyperhidrosis in 2004. Botox has an impressive ability to reduce sweat in the axillary region.
Botox is widely used in surgeries and treatments, but it’s a very strong toxin that can paralyze human cells. Therefore, these treatments should be conducted by experienced professionals only. Find a professional doctor at Xpertdox that will ensure that the procedure is successful.
Electromagnetic energy
This treatment method is one of the newest technologies that has been used to treat hyperhidrosis. It utilizes electromagnetic energy to eliminate sweat glands. They are a local permanent treatment option. By cooling epidermis while using electromagnetic energy to heat and destroy sweat glands, electromagnetic treatments have proven to be an effective treatment method.
Conclusion
Despite serious negative impact axillary hyperhidrosis has on the lives of the patients, most people don’t seek treatment. Most of them live with the condition for very long without recognizing that it can be treated.
Excessive sweating can be embarrassing and most of the time it can affect your performance in many ways. That should never be the case since better ways of treating is available and it has worked for many people. Live a healthy happy life by managing the disease. Get a qualified doctor at Xpertdox who will offer medical advice and help you through the treatment.
